MUSKEGON, MI -- About 130 area residents started their Labor Day with a 4.2 mile walk together for health, community and just for fun.

The sixth City of Muskegon Labor Day Community Walk started at 9 a.m. sharp from the pavilion at Fisherman's Landing.

Participants headed north across the Causeway bridge over
the Muskegon River into North Muskegon and through the Muskegon Lake
Nature Preserve before returning to Fisherman's Landing.

This year the event partnered with the One in 21 Healthy Muskegon County initiative to help promote the event and increase participation. Chris Burnaw, coordinator for the Muskegon Rotary Club's One in 21 project, said the partnership grew out of the success of the community walk during this year's Seaway Run at the end of June.

Burnaw said the greatest motivator for attendance was community and friend participation and that this year's warm, sunny weather, especially compared to last year's "bitter cold," led to more people coming out.

"People are going to show up if it's a beautiful day," she said. "We want friends showing up for each other, helping each other be healthier and in turn helping the community be healthier."

Twin Lake residents Rhys and Sigrid Owen brought their Anatolian shepherds Mija and Fuzzy to walk with them. The couple, who participated in the walk for the first time, said the event was a great way to enjoy a part of the community that many people might never visit.

"It's nice to show that off to people that might have never been there, there are some beautiful trails there," Rhys Owen said.

Norton Shores resident Janet Giberson moved to the area from Grand Rapids in February and said she participated in the walk to see more of the area and for her health.

"This seemed like a good time to see part of the trail," she said. "I'm interested in the health of the community and, of course, my own health, and the health of the community really depends on the health of the individual."